April 2019

Federal Policy Update

I do not have an update now but expect one soon. Gordon Mann attended the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition meeting in DC last month (I did not go due to conflicts but typically do). Maybe Gordon can give us a summary of what occurred at the meeting.

Forest Service Regional Update

I attended the LA Urban Research Center’s meeting on March 20^th, where we reached a consensus on the new Strategic Plan for the Center. It should be published and available soon.

Forest Service Funding

Still waiting to hear from Miranda Hutten regarding our potential new project. I have submitted a revised version of the proposal.

Forest Service Research

– no update

Cal Fire

We should hear by the second week of May if we have received our latest grant submittal to Cal Fire.

CUFAC

The next meeting is May 8^th, and 9^th in Sacramento. I can only attend the 9^th as the Arbor Day Foundation Time for Trees campaign has invited me to their event in Butte County to roll out partnerships with many corporate funders.

State Policy Update – I will be making another trip to the Capitol after their Spring recess next week. We are working on language for the Workforce Development Bill to include urban forestry opportunities along with tracking our usual focus on Cap and Trade funding, etc.

I continue to attend the Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery meetings as possible. Our consulting firm, Pacific Policy Group is helping us craft a letter to submit to the Commission regarding trees and the decisions that have been made that are heavily impacting trees in urban settings as well as rural ones.

Advocacy

I am meeting with Jack McCabe of Davey Resource Group Utility Vegetation Management next week, along with Pacific Policy Group to see if we can expand our advocacy work to include line-clearance work

Program Updates

CIRCLE Projects (Cap & Trade Funding)

CIRCLE 1.0 – monitoring only, no update

CIRCLE 2.0 – sending out text messages to tree recipients to remind them to water along with other tree tidbits;

High-Speed Rail CIRCLE 3.0 – We will be finishing up the Spring tree plantings by the end of this month with two exceptions – City of Bell and LA County Parks – these two will be scheduled for May. The balance of the Community Canopy Trees (smaller trees on private property) will go in this Fall. http://investfromthegroundup.org/circle3-0/planting-news/

2019 Conference

Plans are moving forward for our conference which is entitled (day one) “The Time is NOW! – Urban Forestry & Climate Change” and day two “Urban Wood – Growth of an Industree” and we will be working with our Central Coast Regional Council hand in glove on this. We have found a site in downtown San Luis Obispo called the Ludwick Community Center, we will have two tours, one at the beginning of the Cal Poly Campus, and the second at Pacific Coast Lumberyard and sawmill; 9/26-/28. I now need to find hotels to book blocks of rooms. If you know of any sponsorship possibilities, please let me know!

We have as our keynote a NASA scientist, Brian Campbell, who is running a project (Mission) entitled “Looking at Trees from Satellites, Aircraft, and the Ground: Why knowing where the trees are in your local ecosystem is vital!”

Workshops/Regional Councils

We are working with the Central Coast on an event called “Trees Among Us” – Urban Forest Awareness Day – May 25^th in San Luis Obispo. I’ll be going down the day before to make further arrangements for the conference.

Events

We are in conversation with Arbor Day Foundation to do another planting in Santa Rosa – this will most likely take place in the Fall. There is also a discussion about working with Urban ReLeaf in Oakland as well.

I attended the City of Lodi’s Arbor Day event last Saturday, April 6^th.

I did a site visit of the Santa Rosa planting we supported last year earlier this month. We are helping the same organization, the Fountain Grove II Open Space Management Association with outreach for a grant that they received from California ReLeaf to plant more trees on April 26^th, National Arbor Day. We will receive financial compensation for my time spent on this effort.

I attended the Sacramento Region Urban Forest Council’s meeting last week, which was attended by over 40 people to hear Steve Oltenhoff, from the City of Eugene, Oregon discuss sidewalk conflicts and solutions. People love technical educational opportunities!

Other

I have reached out to Pam Mainini to schedule an audit for June or July. Have not heard back yet with that date.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Hughes